The smell of burning candles and tears masked the aroma of aging wood and illness. Moonlight seeped through stained glass windows, adding to the minimum lighting of flickering candles. The old wooden floors creaked under Minseok’s feet, earning him few watery glares. Minseok softly slide into an unoccupied pew and knelt.

                He nervously at his lips, a habit he had picked up months before. He eyed the bronze cross hanging above the altar. He coated his lips with a thin sheen of salvia and intertwined his sweating fingers together. He rested his elbow on the bench before him and leaned his forehead against his tightly held hands. He let out a shaky gasp of air.

                “Dear God,” Minseok began, “I- I kind of feel foolish for doing this, I stopped attending church when I left for college, six years ago. And I know I stopped believing in you when I learned what science was but you’re my last hope.”

                Minseok wiped away a stray tear and started again, “I don’t really know what I’m doing here right now, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say, and hell I doubt you would even spare a glance towards me. I’m basically a walking sin, but this isn’t about me it’s about my younger brother.”

                Minseok bowed his head and took a deep breath. Tears flooded his vision and he let out a soft sob, “My baby brother, the most important person to me. He’s the only reason why I am still standing here today.”

                Minseok dried his tear-stained cheeks with his sleeve, “I remember when he was first born, and I remember my grandmother bringing me to the hospital after school. I remember her holding my hand and guiding me towards where my mother lay with a bundle in her arms. My grandmother held up a finger to her lips and pushed me closer.

                My mother had dark circles under her eyes but she smiled anyway. I remember peering over her arms to see a small face framed in blankets. And God was he small, his nose and cheeks where tinted pink. He had yet to open his eyes.

                But when I saw him for the first time, my heart swelled. I looked at this fragile creature and I knew that it was my job to protect him. My mother passed him off to me and I swore I cried, my baby brother who fit perfectly in my seven year old arms.

                He’s seventeen now, he should be in school. He should be making dumb mistakes and going to parties late at night. He should be hanging out with his friends and playing video games until late hours of the night. He shouldn’t be suffering like this.

                Please God, I can’t lose him. He’s all I have left. I can’t lose my baby brother, my Sehun.” Minseok sobbed loudly, his shoulders shaking violently.

                He pressed the base of his palms to his eyes to stop the flow of tears. He wiped at his leaking nose and his wet cheeks. He knelt at the pew gasping for air, his head headache turning into a serious migraine. His tears slowed to a soft halt and his chest-pain numbed down.

                He regained his composer and stood, running his ruined sleeve over his face once more removing evidence of any emotional breakdown. He glided down the aisle with his head bowed low, the stares that were once glares softened to looks of pity and resentment.

                Minseok pushed open the church doors and walked into the dimly light hall of the hospital. Minseok turned right and strolled off down the eerie hall towards his brother’s room, missing the man lurking in the shadows with a cunning smirk and black eyes.

                Minseok softly opened the heavy set door. The white hospital room was lite with a single lap by the bedside. Minseok’s heart hiccupped upon seeing Sehun lying on the bed, he’ll never be able to become used to seeing his brother in such a manner.

                Tubes were hooked into various parts of Sehun’s arms; an oxygen mask was sitting over his mouth and nose. Sehun’s skin was pale and gray with dark purple bruises on the inside of his arm from needle upon needle poking and priding the fragile area. Sehun was made up of all skin and bones, the hard mattress below him seemed to swallow him whole. Minseok was able to count his ribs from under the thin hospital gown.

                Minseok combed his fingers through Sehun’s, once, but now fading brown hair. Sehun’s hair was now thinning and Minseok had to shake his hand to rid himself of the lose strands of hair. Minseok leaned down and pressed his cold lips to an even colder forehead. He kissed his brother goodbye.

                “I’ll visit you tomorrow; I’ll bring new books to read to you.” Minseok mumbled against his brother forehead.

                Before he left Minseok grabbed an extra blanket from the supply closet and draped it over Sehun’s frail frame. He flicked out the light and made his way through the dark room and closed the door behind him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed out of the building he despises the most.

                He walked past a stranger who grinned mischievously at him from under a flickering street-lamp. Minseok nodded his head in a formal greeting and continued down the street with only the full moon’s light to guide him safely home.

                He snuck a glance over his shoulder, the stranger from before was indiscreetly trailing behind Minseok. When he caught Minseok eye he grinned and began whistling a harsh tune. Minseok picked up his pace, making various turns in hopes of throwing the man off, though every time he turned around the man was there.

                Minseok stopped at a four way crossroads, letting a car drive past before crossing over. When the car passed standing in the middle of the road was the man who had trailed behind Minseok for the past mile that they’ve walked. Minseok took a step back and was about to turn around and go the other way when the man spoke.

                “I have a way to save your brother.” The man’s voice was soft yet powerful.

                Minseok stopped his step.

                The man smirked, “Sehun? Was his name, yes?”

                Minseok’s pulse drummed against his skin, he was afraid the man would be able to hear the loud beating of his heart.

                “I had heard you earlier when you were in church.” The man grimaced at the word as if it stung him, “If you are willing to listen your brother can live.”

                Minseok his lips, “H-how?”

                The man beckoned Minseok closer with a flick of two fingers. Minseok wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and took a cautious step onto the road. The man flicked his fingers again and Minseok took a step closer.

                “Some say I’m a salesman, some day I’m a dealmaker. In my opinion they are one in the same.” Up close the man’s voice sounded like nails on chalkboard, sending an unpleasant shiver up Minseok’s spine, “You my call me Luhan.”

                Minseok nodded, “I’m-“

                The man held up a hand, “I know you are, Minseok.”

                Minseok’s heart sped up, “How- how do you know my name?”

                “There are many things that I know, such as a cure for your brother.” Luhan brought the conversation back to the original topic, “I make deals with people and I am offering a deal to save your brother.”

                “What kind of deals do you make?” Minseok swatted away the bickering thoughts of what kind of deal this man wishes to make.

                “Depends on the person,” Luhan explained, “Some make deals for wealth, for fame, for love.”

                “What deal would you make for me?” Minseok asked, his lips again.

                “All my deals end the same, same as every one of my co-workers, you could call them.” There was mischief in Luhan’s dark brown eyes, “I make a deal with someone and in ten years’ time I come back and collect their soul.”

                Minseok staggered backwards, “What?”

                Luhan’s smirk grew bolder, “I grant someone a wish and I allow them ten years to enjoy it before I reap their soul. I think it’s very generous, don’t you agree?”

                “H-how would, how is that possible?” Minseok stammered.

                “It’s simple really.” Luhan took a step closer and wrapped his hand around Minseok’s wrist, “For your case we could simply say it’s a life for a life.”

                Blood rushed to Minseok head, the feeling of dizziness swept over him.

                Luhan leaned in and nosed Minseok’s ear, “Think of your brother.”

                “How do I know to trust you?” Minseok whispered his breathing heavy.

                Luhan chuckled. He took Minseok’s earlobe between his teeth, “You don’t.”

                Luhan stepped back and ran his hands up to Minseok’s neck. He ran his long slim fingers over Minseok’s soft skin. His ears perked up from the loud thumping of Minseok’s heart. Luhan’s eyes clouded with lust from the feel of Minseok’s rapid pulse under his painted black fingernails.

                Luhan leaned his forehead against Minseok’s, bumping his nose with others, “Shall we make a deal Minseok? A life for a life?”

                Precious memories of his younger brother flashed before him as if he were watching a movie. Sehun’s first birthday, his first day of school, teaching Sehun how to ride a bike, Sehun running home in excitement at the age of fifteen to tell Minseok that the cute foreign student,  Yixing, gave him a kiss on the cheek. Minseok thought of his parents weeping over Sehun’s hospital bed with sunken faces and dead eyes. He thought of Yixing, Sehun’s now boyfriend, trying to put on a brave face for his lover’s family.

                He thought of Sehun lying in the hospital bed on the brink of death.

                Minseok looked Luhan in the eyes. Minseok didn’t need to answer him, Luhan knew already. Luhan took a small step back, one hand still resting on Minseok’s pulsing neck.

                “With these deals we don’t sign a document, we seal a deal with blood and a kiss.” Luhan took out a small pocket knife and flicked it open.

                He removed his hand from Minseok’s neck and held up a single finger. He sliced open a thin cut; crimson blood leaked out of the cut and seeped down Luhan’s finger. Luhan spread the red liquid over his bottom lip until it was coated completely. He wiped the knife on his pants and held out his bloodied hand for Minseok.

                Minseok paled at the sight of blood and a sharp point. He hesitantly put out his hand. Luhan carefully caressed his hand; he slid the knife across Minseok’s finger. He flinched at the dull pain. He mimicked Luhan and spread the blood over his lips. His heart raced violently against his chest, Minseok was finding it hard to breath.

                Luhan cupped Minseok’s face, his fingers twining themselves in strands of Minseok’s hair, his bloodied finger dying Minseok’s black hair red. The last thing Minseok saw before closing his eyes was Luhan blinking his brown eyes away for solid black ones. Before Minseok could back out of fright Luhan hungrily latched his lips onto Minseok’s.

                Minseok gasped, allowing entryway for Luhan. Luhan ran his tongue over the cavern of Minseok’s mouth. Iron filled Minseok’s mouth with a sickening taste. Minseok hand’s gripped the hem of Luhan’s shirt; he could feel Luhan smirk against his lips.

                Their lips molded together in a lust filled kiss. Luhan detached his lips from Minseok, earning a whine of disapproval. Luhan lips found Minseok’s cheeks, then jaw, then neck. He bit at Minseok’s tender skin, groaning at Minseok’s pulse beating against his mouth. Minseok wrapped his hands around Luhan’s neck, tugging at his blonde hair.

                Luhan left mark after mark on Minseok’s pale skin. Luhan trailed kisses up to Minseok’s mouth. He kissed the corner of Minseok lips. He away the blood from Minseok’s bruised lips. He pecked Minseok once more on the lips before steeping back. His once pristine shirt was now wrinkled from Minseok’s roaming hands; his hair was mussed from Minseok combing his hands through them.

                 Luhan smirked, his mouth, jaw, and cheeks were painted in blood, “I’ll see you in ten years.”

                Minseok blinked and Luhan was gone leaving Minseok panting in the middle of the road. Minseok’s chest heaved. He could feel the warm liquid dry over on his skin. He stood there in disbelief, his mouth agape. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed at his eyes, “.”

                Minseok’s eyes widened when realization dawned on him; he turned around and sprinted back towards the hospital. In the late hours of the night there was only a handful of staff walking around the building bored. He ignored the looks he received and continued to run, taking the steps two at a time.

                He neared Sehun’s room, there was light coming out from under the door. Minseok knew he shut off the light, his heart grew with hope. He threw open the door and collapsed to his knees.

                Sehun was sitting up in his bed with a magazine in his hands.

                Sehun jumped at the noise and peered over the paper to see his brother disheveled and bloodied gasping on the floor. He raised an eyebrow, “Tough night?”

                Minseok bubbled out a laugh which soon escalated to sobs. He messily got off the floor and sat down in the chair besides his brother. He hid his face in his hands and continued to cry. Sehun dropped the magazine on the table beside him and ran his hand over Minseok’s hair and back, soothing him.

                “Why are you crying?” Sehun whispered, scratching lightly at Minseok’s neck.

                Minseok sat up, his tears mixed with the blood splattered on his face. He smiled, a genuine smile, and said, “Because I’m happy.”

                Weeks pass by and the doctors say it’s a miracle that Sehun non-curable cancer has vanished, completely drained from his body as if it never invaded.

                Months pass by and Sehun is finally allowed to leave the hospital once he had regained his strength.

                A week passes by and Yixing proposes to Sehun on his eighteenth birthday, after he asked permission from Minseok of course. They both graduate from high school, their diploma in one hand and a college acceptance letter in the other.

                Weeks and months soon drag out into years and Minseok has given up trying to advance in life. He continues managing the small diner across the street from his run-down apartment. His only worry remains Sehun, but now Yixing has been added to the picture. Minseok spends the next few months going over wedding details with Sehun with a large smile on his face when Sehun asks him to be his best man.

                They get married soon after college graduation, Sehun goes into teaching and Yixing gets accepted into a law firm. During the after party Minseok spends the rest of his night drinking and giving excuses as to why he isn’t looking for a relationship right now.

                More years pass by and Minseok stills wakes up with the sense of blood trickling down his neck and the ghost of someone’s lips upon his. He still wakes in the dead of night with the image of black eyes and blonde hair fading away.

                Months pass by and Sehun and Yixing sit Minseok down to tell him that he is going to be an uncle. They adopt their baby girl a few weeks later and Minseok adds another person that keeps him going.

                A year passes by and Minseok had just turned thirty-two and he begins to say goodbye.

                Two months pass by and Minseok is sitting on his bed with a photo of Sehun and Yixing holding their daughter. The clock on his bed stand reads eleven fifty-nine. Minseok takes a deep breath and stuffs the picture in his pocket.

                                The bed dips next to him and the clock flashes twelve. Luhan crosses his legs and smirks at Minseok; the scene of their first meeting running through his head. Minseok looks over at Luhan, his eyes no longer hid behind brown masks.

                “Long time no see.” Luhan grins.

                “You haven’t changed.” Minseok takes in Luhan’s appearance, the same as it was ten years prior.

                “I could say the same to you.” Luhan’s eyes ravishes Minseok’s frame.

                “Will my family know I’m dead?” Minseok asks the questions that has been haunting him the past nine years.

                Luhan his head to the side, “Depends on what I do.”

                “What will be my cause of death?” Minseok picks at the thin scar over his finger.

                “I like to change my ways with each customer.” Luhan black eyes bore into his, “I usually take the soul and leave the body, but I’m not so sure this time.”

                “What do you mean?”

                Luhan hooks a finger through Minseok’s belt loop and tugs him closer, “If a demon carries a body back to Hell, they are recruited as a demon, with souls they just die.”

                Luhan mouths at Minseok’s jaw, sending shivers up his spine, “What does that have to do with me?”

                Luhan nibbled at Minseok’s bottom lip, his tongue strangely tasted like iron, “You know I’ve never brought a body back to Hell.”

                Luhan kissed Minseok softly on his lips, then the corner of his mouth. Minseok’s eyelids felt heavy.

                “I- I don’t see how this pertains to me.” Minseok gasped.

                Luhan smirked against Minseok’s tinted pink cheeks. He mouthed along Minseok’s jaw down to his neck where Minseok’s pulse was picking up speed. He pecked Minseok once more and pulled away. He cupped Minseok’s jaw and ran his thumb over it.

                He looked Minseok in the eye, he smirked at him and said, “You know, there’s been a decrease in demons lately, we’re looking to recruit.”

*Just a small little something I thought of and I'm horrible at writing kissing scenes*